440 power gains/ aluminum head advantages?

I've always suspected the RB block of being a little "Boaty" for it's potential. Even the mighty hemi left power gains on the table. And it's my belief that it's because in a stock and even street type build the deck height is too high for its total cubes. Because of that, the rotating weight is higher. Thus the engine requires more time to get to its power band.

My suspicion is confirmed with my low deck 451 build. A 440 bored .060 is a 451. But that engine stands no chance against a 451 built from a low deck 400 of simular head/intake/carb/exhaust/cam configuration.

The solution? The RB is tailored made to be stroked. In fact. Many can out build the block's web strength if packing too much performance in the build of a stock block.

This is just my opinion and experience that I've witnessed. But to reality "Wake up" a RB 440? Stroke to like a 512. In a street pump gas build will still snap your head back. Also be more forgiving on stall and gear selections. By just out cubing any small differences.

JMO.


I’m going to disagree a lot. My .030 (440) ran 9.82 in a 1974 duster back in the early 1990’s with junk modified stock parts. I would hate to see what the good parts of today could produce.